


Once upon a time, on a faraway mysterious, beautiful island...

by NicoleCollard



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Brienne goes after Jaime, Episode Fix-It: s08e05 The Bells, Episode Fix-It: s08e06 The Iron Throne, Episode Fix-it: s08e04 The Last of the Starks, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Mad Queen Daenerys Targaryen, Mild Sexual Content, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Discussion, Season/Series 08, Self-Hatred, The dead character isn't Brienne, The dead character isn't Jaime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-07-29 02:09:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20074384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicoleCollard/pseuds/NicoleCollard
Summary: Brienne knows Jaime better than anyone. After spending more than one month together in Winterfell, when Jaime leaves her to go back to King's Landing, Brienne realises there's something odd and alarming in Jaime's behaviour, so she decides to follow him to try and save him from his worst enemy: himself.





	1. Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! I'm back at writing Jaime and Brienne's adventures.
> 
> As many of you, I watched Season 8 and I didn't like what the writers did to Brienne and Jaime. I get that it was their product and they could do what they wanted with the characters. But since they found their inspiration in an original source (the books), and we can all go to that same source for inspiration, I decided that their take on the characters was just one possible approach, as valid as anyone else's. Here's mine.
> 
> I'm not a professional writer, and English isn't my first language, so I apologise in advance for the plot mistakes, typos and grammar errors you may find. Feel free to point them out.
> 
> Enjoy!

With some difficulty and his eyes full of tears, Jaime Lannister mounted his horse and spurred it on. He tried to ignore the pain Brienne's devastated face was inflicting to his guts, repeating to himself that there was no other way, but when he heard her sobs behind his back, something broke inside his heart. The only ray of light that was still shining through his hateful and tormented soul went off suddenly, leaving Jaime in total darkness. As he kept on riding and leaving Winterfell behind, he felt as if he were drowning in the blackest of all seas, as if the world had suddenly lost all colour and sound. If he still were human enough to feel, Jaime would be wailing his lungs out, but he only had strength to let the silent tears run freely down his face in mourning.

When, hours later, the tears had frozen on his flushed cheeks but he still wanted to keep crying for what he had done and what he hadn't, Jaime knew better tan ever that he totally deserved the fate that awaited him ahead.

\- - - - - - -

Brienne lost track of time. She didn't know for how long she had been crying in the courtyard, but another day was already dawning when she finally swallowed the last tears and decided to get back inside the keep. She had ended on the floor somehow and her limbs were totally numb from the cold and the snow. When she got up, a pang of angst hit her when she felt the mild soreness between her legs from the last time she and Jaime had made love just a few hours ago, before he had left her like a thief in the middle of the night. He had been gentle as always. Truth be told, there had been some urgency in the way he clung to her and kissed her lips that evening, but Brienne hadn't seen anything odd in his behaviour. Nothing that foreshadowed his impending departure, at least. The memories brought her a new wave of sorrow, but she had no more tears left, apparently.

When she reached her bedchamber, every single step an excruciating hell, she was still struggling to reconcile the honourable Jaime she knew, admired and loved, with the man who had left without one last glance back at her after sharing her bed for more than one month. Brienne noticed how the walls started to build around her heart and soul again as she washed her face in the basin. She hid her face in her cold, wet hands for a while, holding her breath. All the smiles, the intimacy, the safety she had experienced in Jaime's arms... Everything had turned out to be just a lie. With a bitterness she thought she would never feel again, Brienne punched herself mentally for allowing him to hurt her, for giving him the key to her heart, for being so stupid as to believe that a man like Jaime Lannister would stay with someone like her instead of going back to his beloved sister, the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms.

Brienne got dressed slowly, mechanically, as she kept chewing over her misery. Two dark bruises could be seen under her puffy eyes, but despite her current state of mind, she knew she had a duty to fulfill. After all, she was a knight, even if that thought filled her with bitter sadness at the moment. She would have to tell Sansa about Jaime's departure, since he had been half a guest, half a prisoner in Winterfell. With a sigh, Brienne combed her blonde hair and prepared herself to face one of the darkest days of her already tough life, the constant pain in her chest threatening to rip her in two.

It was only when she grabbed the doorknob to go out that she remembered Jaime's face and exact words in the courtyard. He had listed his crimes, even the ones he hadn't even committed, to make his point. He had said that his sister was a hateful woman, not that he was going back to her because he loved her with all his heart. And though Brienne's insecurities didn't allow her to believe that Jaime would ever choose her over Cersei in any case, truth was that he hadn't told Brienne that he was leaving because he was tired of being with her. Jaime hadn't made it about Brienne but about himself, and judging by the pained expression in his eyes when he was talking, she positively knew that he wasn't lying. His harshest words had been aimed at himself, and perhaps that was what hurt Brienne the most: that Jaime wasn't able to see the worth she always saw in him.

That he had decided to die because he hated himself more than he cared for Brienne.

That thought struck Brienne hard and made her weak in the knees for a moment. So that was what Jaime intended, plain and clear as daylight: he wanted to share Cersei's destiny because it meant death. Was that sacrifice what he saw as his ultimate way for atonement? Brienne had witnessed his suicidal behaviour before, when he had lost his sword hand. But back then, the Gods had put her there in his way to challenge him to go on living. Who was going to help him now? Was still there any hope for Jaime Lannister? Or was he irrevocably down the road of dispair and death to redeem himself?

Clenching her teeth and cursing herself for loving Jaime Lannister so wholeheartedly despite everything, Brienne ventured into the cold corridors and slammed the door behind her. With long strides, she prayed to the Seven and the Old Gods for the courage to ask of Sansa Stark what she needed. When she had become a knight, under the weight of Jaime's sword and gaze, Brienne had sworn to protect those who may need her, and right now said Jaime Lannister was in dire need of protection against his worst enemy.

Himself.


	2. The journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters to begin with the story. I hope I'll be able to post regularly if not daily. Let's see what happens.

For days, Jaime kept spurring his horse to the limit. He rode fast, trying to avoid the Kingsroad as much as possible. Sometimes, he had some food in an inn and slept restlessly a few hours there. Then he left as silently as he had arrived. It surprised him that life still went on, that the cold winter and the threat of the Long Night hadn't made the inns stop working, or the bards stop singing. It surprised him that life were still blooming out there when his heart was so empty.

Sometimes, he slept in the open, as close to his horse as he could, but the North was still covered in that damn, thick layer of snow that made him curse under his breath. _I hate the fucking North_. That thought brought up some memories that he didn't want to revisit. _No, Brienne, it doesn't grow on you. Not always_. Jaime closed his eyes and balled his only hand into a fist. His fingers were so cold that he was afraid of losing them to frostbite. With his eyes still closed, he recalled the multiple ways Brienne used to keep his fingers warm: rubbing them with her long ones, kissing his fingertips, breathing on his hand, placing them between her soft thighs...

Jaime shook his head to get rid of the unwanted memory. Why did she have to keep sneaking into his dreams and thoughts? Every time her face appeared in his mind, with those huge blue eyes of hers looking at him with such admiration and trust, Jaime felt the need to scream into the void. _I'm not the man you think I am! I'm not the one you deserve!_ Then her loving face always changed and Jaime could only remember her pained expression in the courtyard of Winterfell. _I'm sorry_, he wanted to say then to make her stop crying. _You wouldn't understand, Brienne. It's better this way_. Leaving her behind with her heart broken was truly the only way to protect her. If Cersei ever found out about them... Jaime didn't want to think of the things his sister would do to Brienne if she ever fell into her clutches. Death would be the best fate she could wish for.

One day, when he had already left the gigantic North behind and was reaching the deserted Twins, Jaime realised he had started talking to himself. Well, not exactly to himself. To her. Instead of just thinking all those things he wanted to say to Brienne, his mouth had started to produce actual sounds. At the beginning, Jaime only conjured her memory in the cold nights, when he most needed of her comforting presence. Then he asked her something, or just told her about his day, and after that, he tried to go to sleep, because she never answered. But, as time went by and he kept getting closer to his final destination, Jaime started speaking to Brienne more often, even in daylight. He kind of suspected that he was losing his mind, but Brienne's ghost's company was the only thing that kept him going. He didn't deserve anything, and now that Cersei was about to die, he had to be there to share her destiny, since he had been as guilty of her awful crimes as his sister was. Of course, he didn't deserve Brienne either, and that was why he had left her, but her memory was something he would cherish until the day he died. The bright smile on her face when he had knighted her, the way she moved her whole body when she was fighting the dead, the first time he made her reach her orgasm in his arms. And, since his death was just around the corner, he thought that bringing her image to ride by his side couldn't do any harm to anyone. He had done her enough harm in real life already. Jaime knew he would never forgive himself for being the one who had stricken the final blow to Brienne's weak confidence.

When he lay down that night, Jaime cried again. He thought that the pain would be less and less strong as he kept riding away from her, as it had happened when he had left Cersei in King's Landing to fight the dead. But it turned out it wasn't the same with Brienne. The more he rode away, the more it hurt, the emptier he felt, indeed. When he lay down that night, he looked Brienne's image right in the eye and told her he was sorry for the umpteenth time. Then, in a sobbing whisper, he mumbled against the cold floor the three words he had never dared to tell her to her face.

\- - - - - - -

Winter hadn't gone away yet -if it ever fully went away in the North-. Brienne rode as fast as she could, but truth was she still advanced too slowly for her tastes. She kept looking left and right all the time, afraid of missing any sign of Jaime's presence. Sometimes, she dismounted to inspect the ground in search of recent tracks or footprints. Sometimes, she asked the few people she met on the road, but Brienne thought Jaime would likely be avoiding the Kingsroad to go unnoticed. How far ahead could he be? She had left Winterfell only half a day later than Jaime, she couldn't be too far behind him.

Brienne recalled the morning after Jaime's departure. Sansa Stark had been very understanding when the lady knight had finally gathered the courage to speak to her. When she had told the Lady of Winterfell what Jaime had done and what she herself intended to do, Sansa had looked at Brienne with narrowed, calculating eyes, as if assessing her sworn sword's good sense. Then she had nodded her agreement and had wished her good luck. With unshed tears in her eyes, Brienne had seen Sansa's cold mask waver. They had never been friends exactly, but Sansa was the first woman Brienne had established a long and satisfying bond with, and Sansa trusted Brienne with her life after all they had been through together. They might not see each other again. None of them were good at letting their tough façade slip, but in that moment, both women had swallowed and hugged each other goodbye. And, with Sansa's blessings, Brienne hadn't lost any time and had got ready to leave after the man who threatened her sanity.

The hardest thing had been saying goodbye to Podrick. Brienne didn't intend to die, but she didn't know what could happen once she reached Jaime, or once she arrived in King's Landing, given the circumstances. When she had told Pod about her intentions, her squire had been shocked. At first, he had tried to dissuade her, saying that Jaime had just disappointed and deceived her, and that he would never forgive the Lannister for it. That display of loyalty and affection had almost made Brienne cry again. But when he had realised his lady was determined to leave anyway, Pod had volunteered to go with her, of course. This was something Brienne needed to do on her own, though. She wasn't going to drag Pod along to his death because she needed to try and sort things out with Jaime Lannister. So she had convinced him to stay to protect Sansa in her absence. Then they had searched for two witnesses... and Brienne had knighted Pod with the power Jaime had granted her. Podrick Payne was no longer the green boy whose training and safety Brienne had been entrusted with years ago, but a great soldier who deserved recognition at last. It had to be her the one who knighted him, the one who gave him that gift. Podrick had arised with tears in his eyes and had thrown his arms around Brienne's waist the very moment she had sheathed Oatkeeper again. Pod had watched her leave with the saddest expression she had ever seen on his face, but also with a new light in his eyes. With a sigh, Brienne realised that she missed her former squire terribly right now.

As she kept riding south, the air started growing less cold. The evening Brienne finally left the North behind and reached the Riverlands, she realised she was exhausted. With a pang of guilt, she decided to camp earlier that day, because her whole body was screaming in pain. She knew she needed to rest well if she wanted to keep going, but something inside her heart didn't let her be at peace while Jaime was still out there, riding to his death.

When she lay down on her bedroll that night, Brienne's mind started to wander. She found incredibly difficult to keep her thoughts under control. Brienne barely recognised herself in the woman she was today. She had always followed her dreams and tried to achieve her goals, but she had never felt a fire like this inside her before, a powerful fire in her chest that guided her. She was sure of what she wanted to do, she wanted to save Jaime from himself, even if he didn't want to be saved, because he was worth it. Even if he didn't love her back as she longed him to, because he still was a good man.

The proximity to Riverrun made Brienne's sleep be plagued by unsettling nightmares that night. So when she woke up the next morning and vomitted straightaway on the ground, she thought it was the countless deaths Jaime had died in her dreams what had turned her stomach. But when five days later, she had been sick five mornings in a row, Brienne started to panic.

With that evidence and the absence of her moonblood for more than a moon and a half now, it didn't take a genius to know what was happening to her body.


	3. Facing the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here we go again. I hope you don't find Jaime and Brienne OOC.
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter!

Avoiding the Kingsroad on his way south often led Jaime to curious places he had never been to before. For instance, one evening he had ridden past the ruined castle of Oldstones and his mind had travelled immediately to the eve of the Battle of Winterfell. He remembered Pod's sweet voice when he had sung to calm their nerves. Along with Brienne's moving knighting, the tune had acted as a purifying rain for all of them. The six people that had been present in the room that nigth had mourned Jenny's ghosts together as if mourning their own miserable lives. But Jaime had felt that, unlike Jenny, he wasn't alone at all.

Long gone was that warm feeling right now, though.

Thinking that he may find a bit of solace in the middle of the darkness that kept engulfing him as days went by, Jaime sang that night when he camped. He had always had a beautiful voice, or so he had been told. He enjoyed singing when he was young, but life had ended up snatching the pleasure of it away from him. His voice was hoarse due to the lack of use, but it wasn't like he needed to sing in tune to entertain an audience. He just needed to feel _her_ by his side. As soon as he started singing _Jenny of Oldstones_, the image of Brienne came back to him again. There she was in front of the fireplace, a glass in her hand, newly knighted, her amazing blue eyes full of sorrow and peace at the same time. Her gaze was lost in the flames that kept dancing with the shadows, while Jenny did the same with her ghosts in the song. And Jaime had never related so much to Jenny like he did at this very moment, alone in the dark with his own ghosts, the ones who would never go away.

Jaime couldn't help but feel the tears burning in his eyes when he reached the last part of the song. Would the people he had loved and cared for remember his name when he were gone? Would Brienne remember him after he died?

“Will you be able to forgive me when I am no longer here to hurt you, Brienne?”, he finally asked Brienne's image. She only looked at him with a pityful expression, her brow furrowed. “I never wanted to leave. But I had to”, he went on in a whisper, but then she vanished into thin air.

That night, Jaime's dreams were sad. He was in the Great Hall of Casterly Rock. The huge room had always been a warm place, but it was cold and full of shadows in his dream. The wind blew in his ears as the rains wept over the roof. In the middle of the hall, Jaime searched for someone who could tell him what had happened to his family and friends, but he was completely alone. Suddenly, he started to hear some voices and ran through the corridors to find them. Jaime could hear them and soon he saw their bodies too, but they seemed to be made of thin coloured air. Though Jaime tried to reach them, he couldn't touch their hands. Cersei, Tyrion, Myrcella, his mother, Brienne... All of them kept dancing around him without even acknowledging his presence. At first, he thought they were all ghosts and that was the reason why they couldn't see him. But, suddenly, he realised that the ghost was him, a ghost that nobody remembered or missed anymore.

Jaime woke up sweating, his heart beating hard. He hid his face in his remaining hand for a while, trying to calm himself down, and then he decided to leave, even if dawn hadn't come yet.

Another place that stood in Jaime's way south was Harrenhal. It was past midday of a grey day when he saw the monstrous keep appear in the distance and he wondered whether to stop there or not. Why was whole bloody Westeros plagued by memories of Brienne? Finally, he decided to camp near the castle to eat some bread and cheese he had bought two days ago at the Crossroads Inn.

When he finished his meager lunch, he got up and saddled his horse, but his gaze remained glued to the huge silhouette of the ruined keep. Jaime swallowed and closed his eyes briefly. Then he finally stopped fighting against his will, he sighed and headed towards Harrenhal's main entrance, left hand on the pommel of his sword just in case. He didn't know what he could find there, since the castle had been abandoned for good by every lord that ever kept it, but he felt compelled to go back and see it.

He walked slowly around the courtyard, taking his time to take it all in. The high towers were still burnt and broken, and there were signs of fighting everywhere. Blood, some clothes here and there, a broken sword against a wall.

“What a place I chose to fall for you”, he said shyly to Brienne's image, shaking his head with nostalgia. “This castle is cursed from top to bottom.”

Jaime thought he could even hear the voices of those who had died there so many years ago. The wind screamed in his ears as if someone had been hit by a hammer. A horse neighed. The noise of swords fighting. Jaime closed his eyes and decided that it was enough madness for one day. It was time to leave. He shouldn't have entered, in the first place. But when he opened his eyes again, he saw a little girl disappear around a corner of the courtyard. He frowned in disbelief. Were there people living in Harrenhal by any chance? Commoners, maybe? No, that wasn't possible, the girl's clothes were quite rich, judging by the quick glimpse he had caught of her dress. Besides, it was as if the kid were kind of familiar to him, so Jaime decided to follow her to find out who she was.

He spotted her again a few feet ahead, her long blonde hair cascading down her back. She led him to another part or the courtyard. Gods, the castle was truly huge. He though he heard someone saying his name in awe, with a voice soft as butter. Then, the little girl glanced back at him while she ran away, a smile on her tiny lips, and Jaime stopped dead in his tracks.

“Cersei?”, he asked before she disappeared again.

The girl looked so much like his sister when she was a kid -despite having blue eyes- that Jaime knew she must have been another product of his sick mind, so he stopped chasing her. She wasn't real. He shook his head and then glanced at Brienne's image's heartbroken face, realising he had mentioned Cersei's name aloud in her presence.

“Please, don't judge me, Brienne”, he pleaded.

“I never have”, Brienne replied.

Jaime frowned. It was the first time Brienne's ghost talked. He was definitely losing his mind.

“Now you speak too?”, Jaime asked rubbing his eyes with his fingers.

“Of course I speak. What do you mean?”, she kept responding.

Jaime opened his eyes and studied her. She wore her blue armour, the one he had gifted her, and a cloak, though it wasn't as thick as the one she owned in Winterfell. Her blonde hair was a little bit longer than the last time Jaime had seen her, about a moon ago, and her face looked a bit fuller than before too. With a hand on Oathkeeper's pommel, Brienne stared at him with a confused expression, as if she were waiting for an explanation. This Brienne looked too solid to be a ghost.

“It's you...”, Jaime said, his eyes wide open.

“Jaime, are you alright?”

Of course he wasn't alright. He didn't know how he felt anymore. On the one hand, he was incredibly happy and relieved to see Brienne again. He had been imagining her because he couldn't help missing and needing her. But, on the other hand, he knew her presence complicated things to the extent he had tried to avoid when he had left Winterfell the way he did.

“Why did you follow me?”, he asked with a pained expression.

“Why? Have you ever run from a fight?”, Brienne threw his own question at his face.

“You shouldn't be here”, Jaime said shaking his head and trying not to look at Brienne. “You had to stay to protect the Starks. Do you know what that sword you carry means?”

“I do”, Brienne retorted. “Do you?”

Suddenly, Jaime got the impression that they were talking about two different things. And he wasn't ready to walk that path right now.

“You should go back to Winterfell.”

“I'm not going anywhere without you”, Brienne stated. “I'm not letting you go to King's Landing alone to seek your death.”

Jaime looked at her with surprise. He always thought Brienne knew him well, but he had judged her wrong: she was truly inside his head.

“When did you become so wise?”, he asked with a sigh.

“I've always been. You've just realised now because it's the first time you take me seriously”. Her tone was half harsh, half heartbroken.

“Please, don't say that”, Jaime pleaded. Every word Brienne said in that hurt tone was killing him. He looked at her, trying to tell her with his eyes what he wasn't able to say with his words. “Brienne, you can't come with me where I'm going.”

“I'm sorry, but that's not your decision to make”, she insisted.

“Seven Hells!”, Jaime shouted as he stepped closer to where Brienne stood, proud and magnificent. “Why are you so stubborn? You can't follow me! Don't you understand it?”

“No!”, she shouted back. “Because you don't speak frankly! You make decisions for me without asking me first! We are in this together, Jaime. How could you think I was going to let you die without a fight?”

“Because you were supposed to! I don't deserve you!”, Jaime screamed at her face, his eyes full of tears now. “I want you to be safe without me, to move on with your life without sparing a thought for the hateful man that besmirched your honour!”

“Jaime, stop it”, all the anger in Brienne's previous retorts faded away and he could only hear kindness in her voice now. But he couldn't let her throw her life away for him. It would be the final nail in his coffin.

“I already told you back in Winterfell. I'm not the man you think I am. I wish I were, but I'm not”, he kept saying as Brienne moved even closer to him. Jaime stepped away. “I'm Cersei's twin! Everything she did, I did it with her! I need to go back to her, because that's what I deserve. Don't you see it? It's my duty to accept the fate that awaits me there! The new world has to get rid of us both! I can't keep on spreading this sickness I carry with me! And I can't leave her to die alone! That wouldn't be fair!”

Brienne listened to his terrible words with her pale hands covering her mouth. She was trying to control her tears of frustration and sorrow. Jaime's statements pierced her guts like a sword. Her heart was bleeding with pain for him. Who had ruined the life of a good man and had turned it into this misery?

Jaime couldn't keep his tears at bay anymore either, so he let them run freely down his cheeks. He immediately turned away to hide them from Brienne, and she didn't know what to do. She was still hurt by Jaime's behaviour, so she wasn't prepared to give herself to him fully just yet. She needed time to heal and forgive, but Brienne knew Jaime was suffering too much right now, and what she felt for him was much stronger than herself. Besides, she hadn't come all the way from Winterfell just to stand there and witness how Jaime went to pieces before her eyes.

Slowly, Brienne stepped closer to Jaime, who had his back still turned to her. She knew her touch hadn't worked to make him stay the night he had decided to leave, but she was determined to try again. Her contact could be the only thing that kept Jaime grounded right now. With caution, she reached for his elbow. He glanced back at her as if he were a lost child, his green eyes shining like emeralds because of the tears. When he turned round to face her, Brienne raised her hands to his jaw tentatively. Since Jaime didn't move back to avoid her touch, she cupped his face.

Jaime's skin turned pale when Brienne started stroking his beard tenderly, with a kindness he had missed so much. He let her wipe away his tears with her long thumbs while he kept his eyes closed. It was excruciatingly pleasant to feel Brienne's hands against his skin again.

“Jaime”, he heard her call him softly after a while and he finally opened his eyes. Brienne's expression mirrored his: pain, longing, wonder. “Look at me. Do you really want to die?”

Jaime sighed and raised his flesh hand to press her palm harder against his cheek. “I don't know what I want. It doesn't matter. I don't matter anymore.”

There was so much despair in his voice that even himself got scared.

“You matter to me”, Brienne offered, trying not to sound too passionate.

“But that's because you are too good”, he said shaking his head.

“It has nothing to do with being good”, she whispered, suddenly unable to control her own voice. Brienne didn't dare to go further, but she knew that the true meaning of her words hung there between them for a second. “Come. Let's get out of this place.”

Taking Jaime gently by his elbow, Brienne ushered him out of Harrenhal's courtyard and towards their horses, who were patiently waiting for them. Though the days had already started to grow longer, it still got dark too soon, so Brienne thought that camping would be a good idea. They untied their horses in silence and walked them to the nearby forest to set up camp there to use the shelter the tall trees provided. Trying not to lose sight of Jaime while she worked, Brienne collected some logs to start a fire to keep them both warm.

It was going to be a very long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, they're together at last. But they still need to sort out so many things...  
It's incredibly difficult for me to write depressed Jaime.  
Let me know what you think! ^^


	4. Words in the dark

Jaime and Brienne had dinner together in a loaded silence in front of the fire, well apart from each other, as if they didn't dare to touch or be touched. Though Brienne tried to keep her eyes on Jaime all the time, he hadn't looked back at her since they had left Harrenhal's courtyard. She wondered what was going through his mind. Was she doing the right thing following Jaime? Or was she an idiot for trying to go after a man who had stated plainly that he didn't want her company?

“When we first met, if someone had told you that you would let the Kingslayer be the one to take your maidenhead, what would have you said?”, Jaime asked Brienne out of the blue. She knew he was being crude on purpose just to scare her away.

“I would have slapped them”, she answered calmly. “What would you have said if they had told you that you would be the one to take the ugly beast's maidenhead?”

Jaime flinched. “You're not an ugly beast.”

“I am.”

“No, you are not. I was a jerk when we met”, he lowered his eyes to the fire and watched the flames absentmindedly.

“Look at me and tell me what you see”, Brienne demanded suddenly.

Jaime raised his head a bit to look her right in the eye. With some difficulty, he swallowed and took a deep breath.

“You're the truest knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the greatest example of honour and loyalty that exists right now. Your movements are precise and agile, and you may be one of the best swordsmen -women- alive”, he paused to take her in. Then he sighed and went on. “Your hands are strong and gentle at the same time. Your skin is soft. Your body is magnificent, made both for love and war in equal shares. And you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, as you very well know.”

It was difficult after what she had just heard, but Brienne tried to keep a straight face while she stared back at Jaime. Inside, her heart was beating hard, threatening to break her ribcage. She was dying to close the distance between them and kiss Jaime with everything she had, but she also knew that she couldn't rush into things. Her wounds were still too fresh and things between them were too far from sorted out, but she found it hard to refrain herself from breaking the distance.

“And my teeth are crooked, my face is homely, my hair too thin and my body has no womanly shape”, she added with feigned nonchalance.

“Brienne...”, Jaime tried to say, but she interrupted him.

“No! It's true! It's what I am. For ages I couldn't accept myself. Everyone called me names. Ugly beast, slumbering cow, Brienne the Beauty. I was a walking laughing stock. But then I met you. You trusted me with your story. You gave me an armour, a sword, a squire and a purpose. You defied every rule that existed and knighted me. And finally, you made me feel comfortable in my own skin when you looked at me with desire. Is anything I'm saying wrong or a lie, Jaime?”

He only shook his head, unable to say a word.

“Exactly”, Brienne went on, even if opening herself like that was hurting her deeply. “Now I see myself through your eyes, because mine are too biased for me to be objective. I've lived with myself all my life and I know my background, and I didn't like what I saw. Now you know it too, and even so, you still asked to serve under my command, gave me the most beautiful present ever in the form of a knighting and made love to me as if I were worth it.”

“You are”, Jaime cut in, his eyes fixed on Brienne now. “I never wanted you to-”

“Stop, Jaime! This isn't about me. I'm not talking about me because I want you to praise my looks or abilities. I'm not that vain, I'm just trying to make a point. You always say you trust me, don't you? Well, then do this for me. Try to see yourself through my eyes for once. Try to see the real Jaime under the surface, please.”

With a pained expression, Jaime closed his eyes, as if he were so tired that he couldn't even lift his eyelids. The night shadows danced on his pale skin, making him look like a ghost.

“Brienne, there's no other Jaime.”

“Of course there is. I've seen him plenty of times! It's the Jaime that saved the population of King's Landing when he was only a teenager.”

“That was ages ago. I told you: the Jaime you know would have killed everyone at Riverrun to get back to Cersei”, Jaime repeated the argument he had used back in Winterfell that sad night.

“But you didn't. You took Riverrun without bloodshed... And why?”, Brienne insisted, and suddenly there it was the answer in Jaime's mind, plain and simple: _Because of you_. “Don't you see it? You are not like your sister. You are an honourable knight.”

“And as a knight, what do you want me to do, Brienne?”, he asked losing his patience. “Staying at Winterfell playing house while my sister is still on the throne or about to be executed? I can't just step aside and pretend that her fate doesn't have anything to do with me!”

“I'm not asking you to move aside! I understand that you have to go!”, Brienne agreed, standing up all of a sudden. “What I want is to see you fight. You don't have to go to your death willingly because you think you deserve it or because your sister does, Jaime! You're two different people. You aren't Cersei, you are Jaime. You've been pardoned by the Starks for everything they could have ever held against you, you kept your promise and helped us fight the dead, you have people who love you. Why don't you try to forgive yourself? You deserve a second chance at life.”

Jaime's breathing was rushed. He couldn't think clearly with so many things on his mind. In a way, he knew Brienne was right in what she defended. But she just couldn't understand the bond he had with his sister. Even if he had realised some time ago that he wasn't in love with Cersei anymore, even if he was quite scared of her, Jaime couldn't break free from her clutches. He felt guilty for leaving her in King's Landing and for trying to start a new life with Brienne, the woman who always brought the best out of him. What would his life be like if he lived and Cersei died? Jaime didn't even want to imagine it. He might never feel whole again.

And, on the other hand... wouldn't it be liberating to be able to live his own life for once? Wouldn't it be wonderful to have another shot of that beautiful time he had known with Brienne, the happiest of his whole life?

Jaime growled like a wounded animal and ran his only hand through his greying hair.

“I need to rest. I can't think anymore”, he told Brienne. Then he got up to unroll his bedroll and sat down on it. “I'd rather you didn't come with me, but I can't force you to go back to Winterfell, so if you want to ride along with me to King's Landing, it's up to you.”

“I do”, Brienne declared with determination.

“Fine”, Jaime said without heat and then lay down on his bedroll with his back to Brienne.

Why did this woman have to be so obstinate? Didn't Brienne understand that he couldn't allow her to die on him, that knowing that she was in mortal danger because of him would be the real death of his soul in this life and the next?

Brienne gazed at Jaime's silhouette through the flames for a long time, a thousand thoughts plaguing her mind. Jaime was so up to his neck in self-deprecation that he couldn't see reason at all, and Brienne knew that it was a very big problem. He wouldn't be able to truly love anyone until he started loving himself first. It looked like an impossible task for her to achieve, to be honest. Even if she could finally persuade him to fight for his life, that didn't mean he wasn't going to die in King's Landing at the hands of his sister or dragonfire, anyway. But Brienne supposed that, with time, she would try to accept Jaime's death if he really died fighting for something that was worth it instead of running to his demise with his eyes closed.

Shaking her head, Brienne started to take off her armour. Oh, how much she missed Podrick. Not just because he was of invaluable help when she needed to handle the buckles and clasps of her breastplate, but because he had become one of her truest friends and most reliable companions. She hoped he was doing well in Winterfell. When she finished, Brienne extended her bedroll and sat down on it with her back against a tree. She still wanted to keep an eye on their camp for a couple of hours before going to sleep, just in case. Absentmindedly, Brienne brought her hand to her belly and left it there while she tried to keep her eyes open. The idea of having a new life growing inside her was incredibly scary. She didn't know how to deal with the odd feeling of being so vulnerable all of a sudden. With a sigh, she decided against telling Jaime about the baby yet, even if that could be the ultimate argument to make him open his eyes and try to keep going. After all, the thrill of being a father might only mask the true problems, because Jaime's demons would still be there anyway. Besides, Brienne could lose the baby at any moment, given the circumstances, which would be even worse for him. He needed to find his own reasons to live inside his heart first.

They still were about ten days away from the capital and Brienne was determined to keep on trying to help Jaime see the light.


	5. When the truth finally arises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's find out whether Jaime starts seeing the light or not.
> 
> There's a curiosity that has nothing to do with the plot of the fic, but I want to share with you. Every chapter's title has as many words as the number of said chapter. ^^
> 
> Enjoy!

The next morning, Jaime woke up to the sound of retching. The day was still dawning, so the darkness had just started receding. With his eyes still clouded by sleep, he looked around automatically searching for Brienne. She wasn't on her bedroll. Jaime got up cautiously and followed the sound until he found Brienne bent over some bushes.

“Brienne? Are you alright?”, he frowned and approached her.

“Yes, I'm fine, don't worry”, she tried to soothe him, but then another wave of nausea hit her and made her finally vomit.

Her face was paler than a shroud. Jaime raised a tentative hand to her sweaty forehead to hold her still. While he was at it, he checked her temperature, but everything seemed normal on that front. When Brienne stopped retching at last, Jaime helped her towards the nearby lake, the God's Eye, for her to rinse her mouth and wash her face. Then they went back to their camp, where Jaime forced Brienne to lie down for a while before starting the day. He sat on a fallen trunk at her feet and gazed at her face.

“How are you feeling?”, he asked when Brienne started breathing more evenly.

“Better”, she said, but her voice didn't sound convincing at all.

Jaime handed Brienne his wineskin for her to drink some water. After a while, her stomach settled a bit and she sat up with more colour on her cheeks.

“Can you ride?”, Jaime inquired. “We can... stay here today if you need to rest.”

He didn't want Brienne to follow him, that was for sure, but since she seemed determined to do it anyway, Jaime wanted her to be at least healthy enough to endure the journey. And, of course, he would never leave her behind when she was feeling unwell.

Brienne remained silent for a few seconds, pondering her options. If she accepted his offer, it would delay their arrival at King's Landing and she would gain at least one day. But she knew that, if Jaime arrived and his sister was already dead, he would never forgive Brienne and himself for it. They had to resume their trip.

“No, I'm alright. Something I ate probably didn't sit well with me, that's all”, she assured him, then she started to stand up. “If you really want to reach King's Landing in time to talk to your sister, we need to keep going south.”

Jaime narrowed his eyes and shot her a skeptical look, but he finally nodded and got up as well to saddle his horse. When they were ready, they mounted and left Harrenhal behind.

As the first hours of the morning passed by, Brienne started to feel really better. She hoped she could hide her pregnancy from Jaime a little longer, but her morning sickness was playing against her. If Jaime found out, she wouldn't be able to deny it, which would add even more drama to their situation. Brienne knew that Cersei was pregnant as well, because Jaime had confessed it to her one of those cold nights when they held each other under the furs of her bed in Winterfell. At first, Brienne got shocked at the revelation. It had taken her a couple of days to accept that Jaime had left his pregnant sister and that now he were seeking the warmth of her sheets. But Brienne had been weak and let Jaime in her bedchamber every night despite everything because she wanted him.

She cast a glance at Jaime, who rode by her side slowly but steady, deep in thought. Brienne didn't want to be inside his head right now. She was sure that he was going through hell. As if he had sensed her eyes on him, Jaime turned his handsome face to her and held her gaze for a few seconds. Then he lowered his eyes and went on riding without saying anything. They didn't speak much during the day, actually. They did some short breaks to rest and water the horses, and a longer stop by midday to eat something.

Jaime observed Brienne carefully in order to discover any signs of discomfort in her behaviour, but she seemed to be doing fine. She was a warrior, the toughest person he had ever known. Even if she felt unwell, Jaime knew she would try to hide it.

“How did you know you would find me at Harrenhal?”, Jaime asked her when they were finishing their meals.

“I had a hunch”, she shrugged. “Besides, I... felt like going back there.”

“So many memories.”

“Yes”, was everything Brienne dared to add. She couldn't tell Jaime that it had been there where she had started to fall in love with him, even if she hadn't known back then.

Brienne got up and started putting away her things in her saddlebag. Then Jaime followed her and tried to do the same, but soon he realised that the buckle of his bag had got stuck. He sighed in frustration, as he ever did when the lack of his right hand got in his way. And in a heartbeat, there it was Brienne by his side. Without thinking, she grabbed his left hand gently to help him and then they both felt the fire in their veins. Brienne gasped and Jaime swallowed the very moment their fingers touched. She moved her hand away quickly and dropped her gaze to the ground, her breathing rushed, and suddenly Jaime felt the urgent necessity of kissing Brienne's full lips. It took him all his willpower to remain still. They realised it was the very first contact they had had since their reunion without one of them being sick or crying.

With a quick move, Brienne unbuckled Jaime's saddlebag and turned on her heel to put some distance between them. Of course, they did the rest of the way in silence that day.

The next stop took place that night, when they decided to set up camp in the forest but not far from the lake's shore. It may be the biggest lake in Westeros. Brienne thought that it might be even bigger than whole Tarth, judging by the time it was taking them to leave it behind.

When the fire was lit, the traps for little animals set and they were done with their dinners, they sat down in front of the flames. Brienne took off her armour slowly to calm herself down a bit while Jaime stoked the fire. She unsheathed Oathkeeper reverently to polish and sharpen its blade. The tension in the air was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. There was a wall between Jaime and Brienne that she was determined to knock down despite her own fears because Jaime was definitely worth trying.

“So what's the plan when we arrive in King's Landing?”, she tried.

“Plan? There's no plan”, Jaime answered, his brow furrowed.

“Alright, then we need to think of one.”

With a tired sigh, Jaime rubbed his eyes. “Brienne, let it go.”

“No, I won't. If you don't come up with something in a couple of days, I will.”

“You are the most stubborn, impossible woman I've ever met”, he complained.

“Oh, because you're very easy to handle, aren't you?”

“Why do you insist on making this so difficult?”, Jaime asked annoyed, running his fingers through his hair. “Why don't you let me go?”

“Because I don't want you to die”, Brienne replied stressing every single word as she spoke.

“I don't want to die either!”, he shouted. “Don't you think I would wish everything to be different? But I have to deal with my sister! She's my responsibility, my family! And death is waiting for her around the corner! When I arrive in King's Landing, I still don't know if I'll have to beg her to surrender, to sneak her out of the city or to kill her myself. And I don't want you to be there to witness any of them.”

“Why not?”, Brienne whispered.

“Because I want you safe and alive and happy, Brienne. And that will only be possible if you are away from me”. Jaime's voice was full of sorrow. The wrinkles on his forehead were more visible than ever due to the pained expression he had on his face.

“That's not true. The happiest days of my life were the ones I spent with you in Winterfell”. She finally admitted the truth that was burning her.

“Mine too”, Jaime confessed in a hushed tone, as if saying it out loud could ruin the memory.

Slowly, Brienne set Oathkeeper aside and got up to close the distance between them in two long strides. She then knelt in front of Jaime tentatively, still not daring to touch him.

“You don't need to push me away to protect me, Jaime. That's up to me. I know how to take care of myself. I'm a knight, remember?”, Brienne said and finally raised one hand to cup Jaime's cheek. He smiled sadly, but didn't shake it off, so she went on. “But I'm also a woman. And I love you.”

There it was. She had said it at last. After years of pining for Jaime, Brienne had gathered the courage to confess her love for him and come what may. He opened his eyes wide in surprise, not knowing how to move anymore.

“Don't worry”, she said quickly to downplay the importance of what she had just admitted. “I know you don't love me like I-”

Brienne couldn't go on explaining herself because Jaime didn't let her. With a sudden movement, he leaned forward and captured her lips with his. It was the most heated, desperate and passionate kiss Brienne had ever experienced. Both clung to one another as if the ground were about to crack open under their feet. They kissed, licked, bit and sucked each other's lips fiercely.

When they finally broke the kiss, their cheeks were flushed and their hearts racing. Jaime placed his hand on Brienne's nape and pressed his forehead against hers while they caught their breaths. After a little while, he leaned back to stare at her, to be able to drown in the depths of her blue eyes, and caressed the side of her neck softly with his fingers. Brienne closed her eyes and smiled. Then she took Jaime's hand and stood up with elegant movements, dragging him along towards her bedroll.

They lay down on the ground side by side, their arms around each other. Jaime threw his stump over Brienne's stomach and brought her impossibly closer to him. He just couldn't speak and she respected his silence patiently, running her fingers through his hair. Jaime nuzzled her neck gently to breathe in her unique scent and only then he realised how much he had missed Brienne.

It was so unfair. He had done nothing to deserve this amazing woman's love. He was a flawed human being who had ruined everything he had touched. And still, here it was Brienne, by his side, trying hard to make him want to live. And Jaime knew he wasn't strong enough to keep fighting against his need of her. How was he going to balance his feelings for Brienne and the responsibility of dealing with his sister? Bit by bit, his thoughts kept becoming more and more incoherent. He had no more strength left to fix the world right now. The feeling of Brienne's body under his arm was enough to make him feel dizzy. Slowly, lulled by Brienne's heartbeats and gentle fingers, Jaime fell asleep on her chest.

When she heard his light snores, Brienne took a deep breath and then let out a sigh. Her mind was a whirpool of emotions that she could barely contain. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. This was another part of the new Brienne she couldn't recognise anymore. When had she started letting her feelings take control of her body? She had been told that some women's mood changed when they were pregnant, so she though that maybe that circumstance could have something to do with it.

Carefully, she looked down at Jaime. Despite the exhilaration the kiss had brought her, Brienne knew she couldn't claim victory yet. When he had looked at her before lying down, she had spotted a new light in Jaime's eyes that wasn't there before. Brienne didn't dare to rejoice, though, since he still had a very long way ahead of him and the journey wasn't going to be smooth.

She only hoped that Jaime let her walk it down with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was short and slow, but we got a small victory at last! :)
> 
> I truly struggle to write this self-deprecating Jaime's behaviour...
> 
> Tell me your thoughts on it, please!


	6. The healing waters of the lake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit by bit, things are getting better between them. Will it last?

Brienne opened her eyes at dawn with an uncomfortable sensation in her stomach. She knew what was coming, so she took a deep breath to fight the nausea. She lay on her right side, with Jaime's chest pressed against her back and his arm over her. If she hadn't felt so sick, she would have taken time to enjoy his warmth. Moving carefully to avoid disturbing his sleep, Brienne disentangled herself from Jaime's embrace and ran away from their camp, her hand pressed against her mouth. If she wanted to keep the secret, she needed to be careful and silent. When the retching started shaking her whole body, Brienne finally bent over herself and vomitted. For how long would this go on? Nobody had ever told her, not even her septa.

With cautious steps, she approached the lake's shore and knelt to wash herself. Then she went back to the camp, where Jaime was already awake and sitting on a stone. He looked at her with elusive eyes, and Brienne knew that he was more or less back to his apprehensive mood. It was one step forward, two steps back with him. This was going to be hard.

“You're very pale”, he commented.

“I'm fine”, she assured him as she squeezed his shoulder gently on her way to her saddlebag.

Truth was that her head was spinning badly, but she knew that it would get better in a few hours.

Jaime nodded without saying anything else and got up to go wash himself too. He was sure Brienne was keeping something from him, but he didn't know what it was. She probably had her reasons. After all, he had been the one who had let her down first. But it filled Jaime with sadness that she didn't fully trust him, especially after confessing that she loved him. Would he be as brave as to admit his own feelings for her out loud? No. He couldn't burden Brienne with that information, even if she had told him that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. If Jaime finally died, the closer they were to each other, the harder it would be for her to move on.

Their journey was a bit more pleasant that day. The tension between them was less uncomfortable, at least. They even interacted more with each other, with intentional brushes of fingers here and there, even if Jaime seemed afraid of holding Brienne's hand or kissing her in daylight. They talked more and shouted less, which was an improvement.

The lake was definitely the biggest one Brienne had seen in her life. When they couldn't ride anymore and camped for the night, the lake was still there to their right. She thought that it could be a good idea to take a bath if the water wasn't too cold. First of all, though, Brienne built the fire and skinned two hares that had fallen into their traps the night before. They roasted and ate them in a companionable silence, their backs against a huge tree.

“Tell me a story”, Jaime requested her when they were done.

“What kind of story?”

“Anything with a happy ending.”

Brienne stared at him with a thoughtful expression. She had never been good at telling stories, but she could try for the sake of him. With a cough she cleared her throat. The very moment she started speaking, Jaime leaned his head back against the trunk, closed his eyes and a peaceful expression spread over his gorgeous features.

“Once upon a time, on a faraway mysterious, beautiful island, a little girl picked up a sword for the first time”, she began and then looked at Jaime out of the corner of her eye. A sweet smile adorned his lips. “She was stubborn, ugly, too tall for her age and a bit of a dreamer. She always dreamed with becoming one of the knights of the songs she had heard so many times. But she was a girl, and girls couldn't become knights in her world. One day, when she was older, she was lucky enough to meet a knight, a real one. He was loyal, honourable and beautiful, like the ones in her songs.”

Jaime grunted to let Brienne know that he totally disagreed with her description of the knight.

“He also was insufferable sometimes, though”, Brienne went on an Jaime opened his left eye to shoot her an annoyed but amused glance. “He had some issues he needed to solve, but he was a good man. Despite being enemies, because they fought for different kings, they always helped each other in their worst moments, so they ended up becoming good friends. They saved each other's lives countless of times, shared secrets and trusted each other.”

Brienne turned her head to look at Jaime. His eyes were still closed and he had started to breathe more deeply, which meant that he had fallen asleep. She shook her head smiling at the sight.

“And then the little girl realised that she had fallen in love with him and there was no turning back”, she whispered.

Carefully, she leaned towards him and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. Then Brienne took off her cloak and covered Jaime with it, trying not to wake him up.

She stood up quietly and headed to the lake to take that bath she was longing for. Who knew when she would have another chance like this to get rid of all the dirtiness from the road. She took her time to untie and take off her jerkin, breaches and smallclothes. Then she folded them and hid Oathkeeper carefully under them.

When Brienne stepped into the lake, she realised it was cold, indeed. It took her a while to get used to the temperature, but after a few strokes she felt totally at home in the water. She didn't want to leave Jaime alone in the camp for too long while he was asleep, so she started scrubbing her skin to finish as soon as possible. When she reached her belly, Brienne looked down to see if any changes were already visible in her body, but she guessed it was still too soon for that.

Suddenly, she heard a noise in the distance and turned her head to check her surroundings. Jaime emerged from the last line of trees and looked at her with curiosity. Brienne held his gaze for a few seconds, as if assessing an opponent before a fight. Then, without thinking twice, she stood up slowly in all her naked glory, the moonlight caressing her pale skin while some sparkling drops of water ran down her arms and legs. She saw Jaime look her up and down with awe and desire. He swallowed and then he started taking off his clothes too.

Brienne began to walk towards Jaime so as to greet him, every new step leaving more skin exposed. When she reached the shore, Jaime was already aroused and he couldn't hide it anymore. In a very well practised movement, he enveloped Brienne's naked body in his arm and stump and kissed her lips without hesitation. She kissed him back with equal confidence, as if knowing that they belonged together.

After a while, they parted to catch their breaths. Jaime took Brienne's hand and pulled her deeper into the lake, his eyes never leaving hers. They crouched down until only their shoulders and heads were visible over the water, and then Jaime pulled Brienne closer to him to feel her skin against his. The coldness of the water didn't bother him thanks to the warmth of Brienne's body pressed against his chest. Slowly, Jaime started kissing her wet neck and left shoulder, all along the scars the bear had left there, which elicited a moan from Brienne's lips. With a quick move, he grabbed her under the thighs the best he could and lifted her slightly with the help of the water. She didn't hesitate to open her legs and straddle his lap. Then Brienne threw her arms around Jaime's neck for support and they began to move together slowly.

They made love in the water like never before, letting the small waves they created with their movements lick their bodies. Everytime they were in each other's arms, the world suddenly made sense. Their groans filled the night air as they slowly navigated towards their peaks. Jaime had never heard any sweeter music than the sounds Brienne made when they had sex. Her rushed breathing, her rhythmic panting. After a moon of sharing her bed, Jaime had learned to recognise Brienne's weaknesses and patterns. He knew she was about to climax when she squeezed the flesh of his shoulders and held her breath. When she arched back her whole body, leaving her neck exposed, Jaime took advantage and bit the wonderful point where her neck met her shoulder. And that was exactly what finished Brienne. Her hot squeal in the middle of the night triggered his own pleasure and Jaime hid his face in the crook of her neck while the waves of pleasure hit him.

They remained in that intimate position for a while, chest to chest, letting their heartbeats calm down. Jaime draw random patterns on Brienne's lower back and hips while she ran her fingers through his hair in silence, simply enjoying each other's touch. At some point, Jaime leaned slightly back to stare at her, an undefinable look in his eyes.

“You weren't going to tell me, were you?”, Jaime finally asked in a whisper.

“Tell you what?”, Brienne frowned at his question.

“That you're pregnant.”

She gasped in surprise and lowered her eyes to the water.

“How did you find out?”, she inquired.

“I wasn't completely sure, to be honest, but I remind you I've sired three children. I know what morning sickness means”, Jaime explained without raising his voice. “Besides, I think your body is starting to change.”

“Is it?”

Jaime nodded and cupped her right breast gently. “They're slightly bigger now.”

“How can you tell?”, Brienne blushed like the maiden she wasn't anymore.

He only shrugged and moved his hand back to her hip. “I know your body.”

Brienne looked away a bit embarrased. She would have never thought that Jaime Lannister of all men would end up learning and worshipping her ugly body like this.

“No, I wasn't going to tell you”, she admitted with a note of sadness in her voice.

“Why?”

“Because I'm aware of how important it is for you to be a father, Jaime. This could go incredibly wrong. What if I lost the baby? What if you died?”, Brienne's tone was a bit anxious now.

“You could have used your pregnancy as an argument to persuade me to stay at Winterfell. Why didn't you?”

“I would never do that. A baby shouldn't be a weapon used to emotionally blackmail anyone. Besides, I didn't know back in Winterfell. I found out on my way here only a fortnight ago.”

“And even so, you kept coming south to find me”, Jaime shook his head. “Brienne... I can't let you come with me to King's Landing. Not anymore. Not after this. You still have a life to live and a life to give.”

“I thought you had understood what I told you yesterday. It's not a decision you can make for me. I don't want this baby to grow up without its father. Do you hear me? So I will keep following said father to save him from himself if necessary, because he deserves to raise his child. But first, he has to sort out his messy life to be able to live a new one.”

Brienne knew that she had finally touched Jaime's heart when he leaned forward and kissed her hard, his tears dampening her lips. Then he rested his forehead against her shoulder and let her hold him close. When some time later, the skin of their bodies started showing signs of cold, Brienne decided to get up at last. This time it was her who took Jaime's hand and led him out of the water. Once on the shore, they collected their clothes and dressed up. Brienne helped Jaime tie the laces of his doublet and then they went back to their camp hand in hand.

When they finally lay down together to go to sleep, Jaime threw his arms around her body.

“You never finished your story”, he said in her ear, his breath tickling the soft skin of the side of her neck.

“You fell asleep.”

“How does our story end, Brienne?”

She sighed and grabbed Jaime's left hand. Then she placed it over her belly.

“With a happy ending, as you wished.”

That night, Brienne allowed herself to have hope for the first time in weeks. Nobody knew what the future would hold, but there was one thing she was positively sure of: that something had just started to change inside Jaime Lannister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you loved reading this chapter as much I loved writing it.
> 
> :)
> 
> (I'll be travelling throughout the week, so I may not be able to post every day.)


	7. Everything is fair in love and war

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must warn you that I haven't rewatched episodes 8x05 or 8x06, so I don't remember some events very well. Plus, they kept changing King's Landing's geography throughout the show, so I kind of invented both (events and geography).
> 
> I hope this chapter and the next ones work for you. I have to admit that I'm not good at imagining plots beyond Jaime/Brienne relationship...
> 
> Let's go!

When Brienne opened her eyes the next morning, Jaime wasn't by her side. She supposed he would be relieving himself, so she sat up and started putting away their things. Unfortunately, after a little while, she had to sit down. Brienne closed her eyes and took a deep breath to fight a wave of nausea. She kept breathing slowly and, bit by bit, she started feeling better.

Suddenly, she heard footstep to her left and next, Jaime came into view with a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. Brienne frowned with confusion. He sat next to her and handed her the flowers.

“What are these for?”, Brienne asked studying the plants. There were different species of them: red ones, yellow ones. But the flowers that really stood out were the blue ones in the centre of the little bouquet.

“I've heard that sweet-smelling flowers help with morning sickness”, Jaime explained with a shrug.

Nodding gently, Brienne looked at him, touched by his kind gesture.

“Thank you. I hope you're right.”

“I'm sorry for making you go through this”, he apologised.

“It takes two to make a baby, Jaime. We both knew the risks. I don't blame you.”

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips to plant a soft kiss on her knuckles. Then he got up and resumed the task of gathering their things where Brienne had left it. She watched him work while she smelled the flowers from time to time. Even if they didn't really settle her stomach, at least the scent was nice and fresh. Brienne always thought that being gifted flowers was something that would never work for her, but it seemed everything Jaime did for her sake actually worked for her.

When they were ready and Brienne felt like riding, they spurred on their horses and resumed their journey to King's Landing, leaving the lake behind at last.

\- - - - - - -

Time went by in a rush, faster than Brienne would have wanted. Day by day, the bond between them kept growing stronger, though. Brienne and Jaime often talked about their fears, about the past and the future, and always tried to be honest with each other, even if sometimes it hurt deeply. Every morning, Brienne opened her eyes to fresh flowers by her side, which meant that Jaime got up earlier everyday to pick them. When they lay together at night, he always placed his hand over her stomach, as if he tried to send his warmth to the new life that was growing inside her. Although he was still anxious and had a lot of mood changes, he was doing better. He even teased Brienne sometimes and laughed at her annoyance, which was music to her ears. It was like having the old Jaime back for a moment.

When a sennight later they spotted the high towers of the Red Keep in the distance, Jaime turned pale and Brienne fretted. She feared that everything they had achieved during their time together went to pieces in just a few seconds. They looked at each other and spurred their horses again with the intention of reaching the city in the morning.

Brienne suggested to hold a meeting with Jon Snow or Queen Daenerys when they arrived at their camp, but Jaime disagreed. He was clearly not there on their behalf, but his own, and he intended to reach Cersei without them knowing. It took Brienne the whole night to convince him to try. They could use any piece of advise or information from Tyrion, at least. And if Jon or Daenerys were told of their intentions to help, they wouldn't be seen as traitors and they would be able to move more freely around the city.

Unfortunately, Brienne's efforts were in vain. When they finally reached King's Landing in the morning, the North army, the Dothraki and the Unsullied had just started the attack on the capital. Everything was a mess. Daenerys Targaryen rode her dragon over their heads burning the gadgets designed to kill him. Euron's ships were shooting huge arrows towards the capital to keep the beast at bay. The allies and the Golden Company were fighting a fierce battle against each other at the feet of the city walls while the commoners kept pouring in through the gates for shelter.

Jaime and Brienne hop off their horses and unsheathed their swords. If they wanted to get in King's Landing, at least to study their options, the only way would be taking advantage of the stream of people, so they put up the hoods of their cloaks and ran towards the human flood. The first thing that crossed Jaime's mind was the amount of wildfire kept under the city that only needed the slightest spark to combust. And that there was a full-grown dragon spitting fire carelessly at the outter walls to knock them down. As always, this triggered something inside him that Jaime couldn't control. Brienne, who ran by his side, noticed that he had tensed and grabbed his wrist with her free hand to let him know he wasn't alone.

Once they got inside the city, both headed to a secluded corner to their right to catch their breaths and talk freely.

“How are you?”, Brienne asked, a deep crease visible between her eyebrows.

“This is madness. I need to get to Cersei and convince her to surrender the city. If the buildings catch fire, everything is going to explode.”

“Wildfire...”, she realised.

“Exactly.”

“And what happens if your sister doesn't want to yield?”, Brienne stared into his eyes.

Jaime swallowed hard, a pained expression on his features. She knew he wasn't ready to answer that question and it killed her to see him suffer. After so many time spent fretting over this day, it had finally come.

Suddenly, Jaime opened his eyes wide, as if he had just remembered something important.

“The bells”, he whispered.

“What?”

“The bells!”, he shouted and stepped even closer to her. “Brienne, we need to ring the bells! Even if my sister doesn't surrender the city, if the bells rang, everyone would think she did and this madness would stop! Don't you see it?”

“It could work...”, Brienne offered, though she wasn't truly convinced. “But we should still neutralise your sister, Jaime. You better than anyone know what she's capable of.”

“You ring the bells. I'll get to her”, he said.

“Are you sure? Let me go with you. We can ring the bells first and then-”

“No! There's no time to lose, Brienne”, Jaime held his sword between his right arm and body and raised his hand to cup Brienne's cheek. “I didn't want you to come. I wanted you to be safe in Winterfell while this nonsense took place. But here you are. You said you wanted to help me? Alright, ring the bells and save this city.”

“Jaime-”

“I love you”, Jaime blurted out. Then he leaned forward and kissed Brienne's lips with urgency and truth, his hand still on her face.

There it was, he had said the words at last. A shiver ran down Brienne's spine. How was she supposed to part ways with Jaime now after a confession like that?

When they broke apart, Jaime looked at her intently, as if he wanted to tell her a thousand things, but the words got stuck in his throat. Their eyes welled with tears because they knew this could be the last time they saw each other. If something went wrong -and anything could go wrong-, this would be their last kiss. Brienne threw her left arm around Jaime's neck and hugged him tight.

“Don't die”, she whispered in his ear.

Jaime didn't promise he wouldn't. It was no use to lie to her. Anything could happen when the die was cast. He just held Brienne against him for a brief moment. Then he turned his head to kiss her cheek and ran away without looking back. He just couldn't. If he cast another glance at Brienne, he might not be able to gather the strength he needed to do what had to be done. Life was so unfair! And even so, Jaime had suddenly realised that he didn't really want to die. There were still so many things he wanted to do, so many things he wanted to experience. By himself, with Brienne. But first he needed to get rid of the burdens he carried.

Brienne took a deep breath to calm herself down. Letting Jaime leave was one of the hardest things she had done in her life. Every time they had said goodbye had been heartbreaking for her, but this time it was different, it was even worse. There were so many things she could lose this time...

Balling her left hand into a fist, Brienne shook her head and lifted her chin up. She had a mission to accomplish. If there was still any chance at future, she had to make if happen. For the innocents. For herself. For Jaime. And for their child. They owed him a better world to grow up in.

With a last glance at the gates Jaime's hooded figure had disappeared through, Brienne turned on her heel and started to run towards the centre of King's Landing, determined to find the bell tower. She hoped it wasn't too late when she got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another goodbye for these two... It's a bit heartbreaking, I know, but Jaime said the words at last!
> 
> Thanks for reading and tell me what you think! :)


	8. Family is supposed to be our safe heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! :)
> 
> I must warn you that I have no time to mend everything that happened in season 8... So you'll find mad queen Daenerys without further explanation in this fic. Jaime and Brienne are my priority!
> 
> Read! :)

The city was complete chaos. The very moment they got in, Jaime knew he would never be able to reach the Red Keep. It was impossible to run through the streets with so many people blocking them. Fortunately, he knew King's Landing very well from his years as a kingsguard. It was the Golden Cloaks the ones who usually patrolled outside the keep, but Jaime had always liked having things under control, especially when he had been promoted to Lord Commander, so he had often walked the streets and alleyways himself. That and his incestuous relationship with his sister had helped him find out about the different secret passages that led to the Red Keep.

After kissing Brienne goodbye, his heart clenching with pain and sorrow, Jaime got out of King's Landing through the same gates they had used to enter and ran along the city walls trying to go unnoticed. There was a passageway he knew that wouldn't likely be under surveillance: the one that started at the cliffs and ended at the huge basement of the Red Keep, where the creepy dragon skulls were kept away.

When Jaime finally reached the beach, he was out of breath, so he stopped to rest a bit before getting in the passage. It was dark and wet, and his feet splashed in the water as he ran. After a while, Jaime started seeing a feeble light at the end of the tunnel at last, so he kept running until he reached the basement. The dragon skulls looked at him with empty sockets when he ran past them towards the staircase.

The activity inside the Red Keep was frantic. Maids, cooks, stable boys, guards... Everyone ran from here to there outside in the courtyard trying to reach any safe place to stay while the battle took place. Jaime could hear some pray and cry. It was insane. He knew where he was going, so he didn't stop. Fortunately, the part of the keep he needed to cover to get to Cersei wasn't crowded at all. His hood was still up just in case, though, and besides, the few people he crossed paths with weren't truly paying attention, too focused on their business to care.

Jaime finally arrived at the Throne Room, where he knew without a doubt he would find Cersei. And there she was, indeed, sitting on the Iron Throne with a pose that radiated elegance and power. Her perfect body sat upright, while her beautiful face was raised with arrogance. But even in the distance, Jaime noticed that her eyes were more lost than ever, which made her look more frightening as well. She was flanked by three ordinary queensguards and, of course, her scary puppet, the Mountain. There was no sign of Euron, who would be busy leading his fleet into battle, or Qyburn, which was what really worried Jaime.

The very moment he snuck into the hall, his sister spotted him and tensed. An unknown hooded figure was always a foe. Jaime knew that if he wanted to have a chance to speak to his sister, he would need to put down his hood, even if that could also be his death sentence. He knew Cersei had hired Bronn to kill both Tyrion and himself. Did she mean it? Or did she know that Bronn would just deliver a warning and be off without killing them? Anyway, he wasn't sure Cersei would be too happy to see him. With his heart pounding hard in his chest because of both fear and excitement at the prospect of seeing Cersei again, Jaime kept approaching the Throne, his gloved hands up as a sign of peace, while the queensguards commanded him to stop and unsheathed their swords.

Slowly, Jaime stopped walking and put down his hood to allow Cersei to recognise his face, even if his appearance had changed so much since the last time they had seen each other. His sister's eyes lit up for a second when she saw him, and it almost melted Jaime's heart. After all, he knew Cersei was incredibly lonely. But soon she soldiered on and looked down at him as if he were something despicable. Cersei raised her hand to appease the queensguards so they could go back to their positions by her side.

“Look who's back grovelling to his Queen”, Cersei said in her most sardonic voice. “My sweet brother Jaime. Didn't the North meet your expectations?”

“Cersei, listen to me. There's no time for this”, Jaime took a deep breath to try and slow down his heart rate. Just being in Cersei's presence brought back so many memories that it was incredibly difficult for him to concentrate, even to resist her charms.

“Oh, but you left. There was time for that, apparently. You left me on my own and joined the Dragon Queen, even if I asked you not to. If she's attacking King's Landing now is because you and your friends contributed to raise her to power.”

“That's not true”, Jaime dismissed with a wave of his flesh hand. “Anyway, she's here at your gates as we speak and she's going to win, so-”

“I'm not so sure about that. She has only one dragon left. Euron made sure of it.”

Absurdly, Jaime felt a pang of jealousy when Cersei metioned Euron's name.

“Still she's going to win. Your Golden Company is about to be defeated and that dragon has already burnt half your fleet. I've seen the Unsullied and Dothraki fight firsthand, and the Lannister soldiers have nothing to do against them. Those people are death machines, Cersei. It's just a matter of time that they get to you”, Jaime tried to explain with urgency, but there didn't seem to be any changes on Cersei's mask of indifference.

“They won't get to me. They'll have to raze this city to the ground if they want to take me alive”, she stated in a proud tone that gave Jaime chills.

“There's no need for that, Cersei. The innocents don't deserve to die because we don't know how to fight our battles.”

“Innocents? The same innocents that lauded Ned Stark when he was appointed Hand of the King and then cheered when your son Joffrey had him beheaded?”, Jaime flinched at Cersei's sudden boldness. Acknowledging the real kinship he shared with Joffrey so publicily was totally new. “The same innocents that threw their rotten vegetables at me when I walked down the streets of their city naked and vulnerable? The same innocents that whisper Kingslayer to your back while they smile at your face?”

“It doesn't matter anymore. The Gods and History will judge us all when the time comes. You need to yield and surrender the city or none of us will see another day.”

“I don't care about the innocents, Jaime. If your Dragon Queen is-”

“She's not my queen”, Jaime denied, his eyes fixed on his sister's.

“If your Dragon Queen...”, Cersei went on, her eyes as intense as his, “... is as good as you all believe she is and cares for the innocents as much as you all say she does, then she will never burn this city to ashes.”

“Everyone makes mistakes. We're all in danger”, Jaime explained. “You can stop this madness, Cersei. If you surrender the city, there's a possibility that I could still sneak you out of it undetected. Even if they take you alive, they may grant you the chance to live until you give birth and then-”

But then Jaime stopped dead. His eyes had fallen to Cersei's stomach automatically and something struck him hard all of a sudden: her belly was completely flat. It was impossible that she were still pregnant and she weren't showing yet after so many moons. Even Brienne's body had started to change after only two moons and a half. Thinking of Brienne, of her light and sanity, made Jaime feel uneasy in Cersei's presence all of a sudden. His throat went completely dry. He tried to talk again, to ask her about the baby, but suddenly, the city bells started ringing.

Brienne had achieved her purpose. Cersei raised her head frowning, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

“What's that?”, she asked and got up. Her guards and the Mountain tensed.

“The city bells. I've surrendered King's Landing”, Jaime told her in a low tone.

“You! You surrendered my city?”, Cersei asked in her most dangerous voice.

“Cersei, where's the baby?”, Jaime asked. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. Had she suffered a miscarriage she hadn't got over yet? Had she been lying to him all the time? Had she imagined her pregnancy?

“The baby, sweet brother?”, Cersei said with rage. “There was never a baby. I told you so to keep you by my side. I was losing you, it suddenly wasn't only you and I against the world. You had started questioning my decision! Every time you came back to me, you were more and more distant. I made up the baby because I needed you to protect our family and house again without doubts! But you went North anyway and betrayed me! And now you've betrayed me again by surrendering the city without my permission. You've sentenced us all to die.”

And then, Jaime realised his sister had either gone completely mad or become pure evil. His eyes welled with tears of sorrow and fear and anger. His heart broke and he felt like killing her for all the pain she was inflicting upon him, but deep down he knew he would never be able to do it, because she was still his sister, and there still was something too strong that tied him to her. Jaime didn't know when he had lost Cersei, but she was past the point of no return. With all the self-control he could muster, Jaime swallowed hard and thought the best way to deal with his sister right now, because one thing he knew for sure: she was very dangerous.

“It's alright. I only did what had to be done to keep us safe, Cersei. And I'm with you now”, Jaime tried to soothe her with slow words while he approached the Throne carefully, his jaw clenched. The guards took one step forward and the Mountain raised his sword instantly. “Let me get you out of here. You need to leave the throne and come with me.”

“This is my city and I will see it burn before handing it over to that blonde bitch”, Cersei's eyes shone with malice. “I may still have an ace up my sleeve.”

“What? Cersei, don't do anything-”, Jaime tried to reason with her when his sister started descending the stairs towards him.

“Ser Gregor, kill him”, was all Cersei said when she walked past Jaime. Something inside him broke forever. This time the order was real, there would be no backing down.

"Cersei!", Jaime shouted in pain.

The three queensguards rushed to follow their queen, while the Mountain faced Jaime, who unsheathed his sword knowing beforehand that the fight was lost for him. He wanted to go after his sister, because he had a hunch that she was up to no good, that she intended to go with a blast. But Gregor Clegane was alreay there blocking his way out, sword in hand. His huge frame filled Jaime's field of vision. At least, he could still hear the bells ringing out there, as if every bell tower had finally joined the feast.

When the Mountain attacked, Jaime tried to parry, but the beast was too strong for his left hand. It would have probably been too strong for his right as well. Jaime staggered and almost lost his footing. His state of mind wasn't the best for fighting either, to be fair. Sorrow and failure filled him to the point of barely being able to fight back. He barely had time to recover when the Mountain raised his sword to strike again. Jaime jumped aside and avoided the blow. But suddenly, he heard a noise that made his blood run cold: a dragon's enraged roar. What did that mean? Had someone provoked the dragon? Or hadn't Daenerys heard that they had surrendered the city for her to take it without further bloodshed?

The distraction was enough for the Mountain to take advantage of the situation. With a sudden movement, he ran his sword through Jaime's thigh, which made him scream in pain. The knee of his wounded leg hit the ground and Jaime tried to stop the bleeding pressing his golden hand against the cut. He looked up and realised that Clegane's side was exposed, so he attacked from below quickly. Widow's Wail pierced Clegane's flesh, but the Mountain only looked down at him with his dead eyes and slapped him in the face so hard that it sent Jaime flying. With a smooth movement, Ser Gregor pulled Jaime's sword out of his body and threw it away. Jaime's head ached so badly that his vision was blurred. He struggled to get up before the monster got to him, but his knees buckled again and again. His leg was killing him.

He was a dead man and there was nothing he could do to avoid it. Even if he was totally depressed right now, the idea of dying felt like a failure to him. Escaping this miserable world at last brought him some relief, but right before entering the Red Keep, he had decided he no longer wanted to die. When he saw the Mountain approaching him with his sword over his ugly head, Jaime closed his eyes and spared a last thought for Brienne. _I'm sorry for leaving you again_, he apologised to her.

But the blow never came. He heard some fast, heavy footsteps and then a metallic noise in the air over him that made his head hurt even worse. Jaime opened his eyes frowning. And then he discovered who had saved his life: Sandor Clegane, the Hound, had arrived just in time to push his monstrous brother away from Jaime.

“Go, Kingslayer!”, the Hound shouted at Jaime while he tried to keep the Mountain at bay.

Jaime's mind worked too slowly right now for him to understand what was happening. With a huge effort, he finally got up and limped to the place where his sword lay on the ground. He picked it up and then he approached the Hound in order to help him against the Mountain, but Sandor Clegane shoved him aside.

“Didn't you hear me? Go, for fuck's sake!”, he repeated while he parried another of his brother's terrifying blows.

With a confused expression, Jaime did as he was told. He nodded his thanks at the Hound, who was now attacking with strong blows, and ran as fast as he could with his wounded leg giving him an excruciating pain. Deep inside, he knew that Sandor Clegane would never win that fight. Jaime's heart felt sad for him and kind of related to his sacrifice: after all, the Hound was going to die at his brother's hands because he hadn't being able to overcome the fate he had created for himself so many years ago.

Would Jaime die with his sister as well, as they had always told each other?

Jaime went on limping towards the stony staircase trying to follow his sister's steps. Suddenly, as if struck by a lightning, he realised what Cersei's last ace was and his whole body started trembling: she was going to use the wildfire to destroy King's Landing. His breath got caught in his throat and flashes of the Mad King started to come to his mind. _Burn them all_, he kept hearing in his head.

Jaime didn't know if there still was anything human left in him after all he had went through in his life, and he definitely wasn't a pious man, but at this moment he prayed to the Seven, to every single one of them, to spare him the hell of being the one who would have to kill his sister to avoid a new massacre, because unfortunately, as much as he hated her right now, this time he will have to let King's Landing burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry there was no Brienne in this chapter. As you could see, she was pretty busy trying to save the city!
> 
> Tell me what you thought! :)


	9. The most difficult decision of Jaime's entire miserable life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're reaching the end of this fic. This chapter is technically the last one, and the 10th will serve as an epilogue.
> 
> I hope you enjoy what I came up with...

Trying to keep his ominous thoughts at bay, Jaime kept running after Cersei. The wound on his thigh was still bleeding, but he knew he couldn't stop. He had to reach her before she did something crazy like blowing up the Great Sept of Baelor. Would Cersei still listen to him if he managed to be persuasive enough? How far was he willing to go to stop her?

Suddenly, Jaime walked past a window on his way down and caught some images out of the corner of his eye that made him stop dead. Out there in the city, the inhabitants, the buildings, the streets were being annihilated by dragon fire. Jaime's body started trembling, triggered again by memories. He grabbed the window frame to steady himself, as he kept hearing people's screams of panic and pain and the dragon's roars. So Daenerys Targaryen had succumbed to madness in the end. It wouldn't be necessary for Cersei to give her minions the order to ignite the wildfire anymore: Daenerys will have that job done for her. They were all doomed.

Jaime forced himself to look away from the window and kept limping downstairs. It was when he was finishing the last flight of stairs that he heard a first explosion somewhere out there and he knew his worst fears were coming true. Where was Brienne? Would she have had time to leave the city and get to safety after ringing the bells?

And then, when he finally reached the beautiful courtyard where Cersei had had Westeros map painted on the floor, his heart skipped a beat. There, sword in hand, was Brienne of Tarth herself in all her glory, fighting two of Cersei's queensguards while the Queen observed them from the distance, a furious expression in her green eyes. There already was a wounded man on the floor at her feet, trying to get up without success.

With angst spreading all over his body, Jaime noticed that Brienne had an angry red cut on her cheek. Why in the Seven Hells had she come to the Red Keep? Jaime cursed internally. He leaned against a pillar for support while he caught his breath before joining Brienne, though he knew he wouldn't be of much help to her. He barely had time to start walking towards her when she swang Oathkeeper and chopped off one of the queensguards' swordhand, while the other attacked her from the side.

“To your left!”, Jaime shouted to warn Brienne, which granted him a startled look from both women.

“Jaime!”, Brienne exclaimed relieved and worried at the same time.

Then she squatted quickly to avoid the blow and spun around to trip the man up. The queensguard fell to the ground with his arm under his body. Jaime heard a crack that told him the man had broken his shoulder. Brienne rushed to him to point her sword at his throat.

“Yield”, she panted.

After a few seconds of pondering his options, and with his fellow kinghts' screams of pain punishing his ears, the man finally threw his sword aside. Cersei's body tensed, but she didn't dare to say anything. She knew she didn't hold power over those men anymore after Brienne's display of swordsmanship.

Jaime looked at Brienne with awe, as always when he saw her fight. She had managed to put the three queensguards out of the game without killing them. Jaime knew that she respected the men for keeping their vows to their queen, even if they were wrong in their allegiance. She would always try to preserve life if she didn't see a real reason to kill.

“Take your men away and tend to their wounds. Don't ever come back”, Brienne told the queensguard and he did as he was told. With difficulty, he helped both men up and out of the courtyard and disappeared into the shadows.

“Jaime”, Cersei's voice came to him all of a sudden, angry and a bit anxious as well.

Jaime gritted his teeth. How did his sister dare to address him after having ordered the Mountain to kill him? Was she truly that mad or was she just trying to manipulate him, as she had always done? The two Jaimes kept fighting inside his heart and mind. A part of him was already completely repelled by his sister, but the other still felt some reponsibility towards her.

“Yield, Your Grace. You're on your own”, Brienne said in a clear attempt to divert Cersei's attention from Jaime. He thanked her internally for her subtlety.

“Or what?”, Cersei asked turning her head to Brienne, still proud and elegant, but Jaime noticed her voice was less sure and steady when she went on talking. She kept casting side glances towards the different exits while she spoke, but Brienne was effectively blocking her way out. “Are you going to kill me, Lady Brienne? Do you think killing me will give you free access to my sweet brother? Do you think killing me will make him yours?”

Jaime saw Brienne ball her free hand into a fist. Her expression was tense, as well as her whole body. Cersei was using her favourite tactic: attacking to defend herself. She was the viper that still tried to bite its enemies even if it was mortally wounded. And he was afraid that her words affected Brienne's weak confidence in what Jaime felt for her. Besides, he knew Brienne would never attack Cersei just in deference to him unless they were in mortal danger, so she would stoically endure whatever Cersei had in store for her.

“Cersei, shut up”, Jaime tried to cut her off with anger, but she still went on. He realised she was so alone and desperate that provoking Brienne with her words and Jaime through Brienne's suffering was her only weapon right now.

“Why, Jaime? Don't tell me you really care for this slumbering cow...”

Cersei looked right into Jaime's eyes with a wicked smile on her lips. And suddenly, she figured out the truth. Her face got pale and her smile disappeared in the blink of an eye. Jaime's love for Brienne was something Cersei had never seen coming. He held her gaze, feeling a bit guilty and cursing himself for it.

Suddenly, the whole Red Keep trembled and some pieces of rubble fell from the walls that surrounded the courtyard. The three of them covered themselves.

“Brienne, get out of here”, Jaime commanded between coughs as he looked up. He preferred to deal with his sister knowing that Brienne was at least safe somewhere else.

“I'm not going anywhere without you”, Brienne stated, standing her ground.

“You... love... her”, Cersei said opening her eyes wide, as if she couldn't believe her own eyes. Her voice sounded disgusted. “How could you sink so low, Jaime? So I was right, I knew I was losing you, but I never thought you would fall for this beast of a woman. You betrayed me over and over again with her, no less! How dared you?"

Cersei's words pierced Jaime's heart badly, he couldn't help it. There she was talking about betrayal again! How did she dare to say something like that? How many times had she betrayed him? How many times had Cersei kept Jaime in the shadows while she made decisions? How many men had she slept with while Robb Stark held Jaime prisoner? Besides, there was nothing he could do to change things. He had loved Cersei with all his heart, body and soul, even if that love had been so twisted and unhealthy, but at some point along the way, he had stopped being in love with her and had fallen for Brienne, the woman who always made him want to be a better man and loved him back without conditions, the woman who had won his heart for good. After all, you don't get to choose whom you love.

“No! How dare _you_ speak about betrayal!? You never cared for me, Cersei! It was always about you! What you wanted, what you desired, what you needed! I only tried to make you happy, to protect you!", Jaime said losing his patience. This was too much for him. He could feel Brienne's worried eyes on his tense figure. Again, the ground and the walls trembled. “I still want to protect you, Gods know why. Yield and redeem yourself before it's too late! Let me help you one last time!”

But in that very moment, the Red Keep got shaken by an explosion once again and the three of them lost their balance. Cersei used the nearest pillar for support, while Jaime staggered until he couldn't remain on his feet anymore and his wounded knee hit the ground. But it was Brienne who took the worst part. A fair amount of rubble came off the highest part of the walls and fell on her. Although she managed to avoid to get hit by the most part of it, she fell down and some bricks trapped her right leg. Brienne yelled in pain and started to push the rocks away from her, but they were too heavy.

“Brienne!”, Jaime shouted and limped towards her.

He knew that with his actions he was allowing Cersei to escape and give any crazy order she were planning to give, but he knelt down beside his lady knight in a rush anyway and, with difficulty and only one working hand, Jaime tried to help her.

“Save yourself! Leave me here!”, Brienne told him with panic in her eyes.

“Never”, Jaime groaned while he kept pushing the rubble.

“Oh, how beautiful”, they heard Cersei's voice coming from nearer than expected. “Would you die for her, sweet brother, as you said you would die for me?”

When Jaime looked up, there it was Cersei towering over them, her green eyes looking down at him with a shade of madness that shook him. Suddenly, he saw that his sister was holding a golden dagger in her hand and was ready to stab him with it. When had she produced the weapon? Why hadn't Jaime realised they were still in danger?

Without thinking, Jaime sprang to his feet and blocked Cersei's blow with his gloved golden hand, so the dagger's blade got stuck between his golden fingers. But his sister was determined to put up a fight. She slapped him once, then tried to do it a second time, but Jaime was faster and grabbed her hand with his left, spun her around and pressed her against him in a tight embrace to stop her. His heart bled with sorrow.

“Were you going to kill me, Cersei?! Were you really going to kill me?! I'm your brother! And I'm only trying to save you!”, he yelled at her with anger and sadness. This was the place where all their 'unconditional and everlasting' love led, to his sister trying to kill him over and over again and he still attempting to turn a blind eye on it. Why couldn't he give up on her for good? Why did that hateful and spiteful woman have to be so rooted to his system? Besides, they didn't have time for this! The whole building was about to fall down and he needed to free Brienne from the rocks and get her out of the place.

"We always said we'll die together. Do you remember it, Jaime? When you said we were mirrors and two halves of the same whole?", Cersei asked him in her sweetest voice.

"It was you who always said that, Cersei. I only followed you. But I'm not that man anymore. And you're not the same woman either."

“Jaime...”, he suddenly heard Brienne's pained voice call his name from behind in a warning tone.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaime saw someone step into the courtyard and looked up. Qyburn, Cersei's Hand, left the shadows and stopped a few feet away from them.

“Qyburn!”, Cersei exclaimed. She tried to break free from Jaime's arms, but he was stronger than her.

Cersei knew how to distract his brother, though. Slowly, she pressed her arse against Jaime's groin and started to move. When Jaime gasped, Brienne tensed and Cersei elbowed him in the ribs. She took advantage of his pain and run away from him. Qyburn nodded at his queen to greet her when she reached his side.

“Your Grace.”

“I hope you set everything in motion”, Cersei said composing herself.

“As you commanded, You Grace”, he replied.

Then Cersei turned to Jaime, who had knelt by Brienne's side again, and gave him a malicious smile. Jaime and Brienne glanced at each other expecting the worst when another tower of the Red Keep received more blazes of dragon fire and the walls shook again. All of them staggered once more. Fortunately for Brienne, the new tremor shook the rocks that kept her leg trapped and set her free from their weight. Even so, her bones were so damaged that she couldn't even get up. Jaime put his hand on her shoulder to keep her in place.

“Right now, there are thousands of flasks full of wildfire under every street of King's Landing, except for the Red Keep”, Cersei informed them, her eyes full of rage. “You know the effect wildfire has, don't you? All of them will be lit in a matter of seconds if I die or that blonde bitch usurps my throne. So, if you want me to stop this, you'll go talk to your Dragon Queen, dear brother, and tell her to take her bloody dragon away from my city if she doesn't want to rule over corpses.”

Jaime didn't know whether his sister was lying or not, but as always, she sounded pretty convincing. Jaime had already figured out that something like that could happen, and he believed her capable of doing that and much worse. He looked at Brienne, whose face was paler than ever due to the pain in her leg and the distress Cersei's words were causing her.

“You won't have time to give any order if Daenerys Targaryen keeps burning the buildings like this. It seems she's already one step ahead of you”, Jaime said with more confidence than he felt, while he removed the golden dagger from where it was still stuck between his golden fingers and threw it away. “Our only chance is that you yield. Then we'll bring Daenerys down and make a deal with Tyrion or Jon Snow.”

“I don't believe you anymore, Jaime”, Cersei said casting a glance at Brienne, while she took one step back to get closer to Qyburn.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. With a quick move, Qyburn produced a familiar dagger from under his sleeve, grabbed Cersei's neck from behind and stabbed her twice in the belly.

“No!”, Jaime shouted without being able to control himself. It was as if something was ripping him from the inside. He almost sprang to his feet, but Brienne grabbed his arm to keep him in place.

“No, Jaime!”, she screamed at him when she figured out what was happening.

Qyburn had already started pulling at the skin of his neck, and seconds later, Arya Stark was looking at them with her cold eyes from behind Cersei, the Valyrian steel dagger she had used to kill the Night King still in her hand. Brienne had heard about the Faceless Men in her childhood stories. And, after her first fight with Arya in Winterfell's courtyard, Sansa had shared with Brienne that her sister had followed an exhaustive training somewhere in Essos. And now everything made sense in Brienne's mind.

Grabbing her stomach with a grimace, Cersei lost her footing and her knees hit the stony ground hard. She looked up at Arya's face gaping, trying to find some words to say but failing.

“In the game of thrones, you win or you die”, Arya sentenced staring down at her.

Then Cersei cast a last glance at Jaime from across the courtyard with glassy eyes full of tears, the blood gushing profusely from her wounds. Before her head could hit the ground, though, Jaime was there by her side and caught her in his arms.

“Jaime...”, Cersei said in a weak voice.

“I'm here”, Jaime soothed her, tears running down his dirty cheeks. “Don't be afraid.”

“I don't... want to... die”, she wept.

“You won't. You... I'm sorry...”, Jaime didn't know what to say.

But it wasn't necessary anymore. Cersei exhaled one last time and she died in Jaime's arms. He cried bitter tears that fell on Cersei's cheeks. His sister, the woman he had loved so dearly for so many years, lay dead on his lap, her green eyes dark and empty.

Jaime didn't know how long he had been rocking Cersei's body when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Brienne's worried face there, her beautiful blue eyes fixed on him. She leaned on Arya's shoulder for support, because her leg was too broken to stand by herself.

“Jaime, we need to go. The building is going to collapse”, she said with her softest voice, as if she were talking to a wounded kid.

“I can't leave her here”, he shook his head still sobbing. “I have to... Why did you have to kill her?!”

Arya didn't even flinch. “She was an evil person and a bad queen. I did what you couldn't do. She deserved it. And if you don't want to join her in the Seven Hells, you should get going right now.”

The walls had started to make strange, creaky noises around them. Jaime closed his eyes tight with fury and still in denial. He knew Arya was right. Cersei deserved to die. She had done harm to so many people in her life that Jaime doubted that she still had anyone left that genuinely loved her at this point. But she still was his sister, and feeling her dead weigh in his arms hurt so much.

The walls started to crack around them and small stones fell to the ground. Brienne grabbed Jaime's arm and pulled, but he didn't move.

“Jaime! Please! We need to go! Come with me!”, Brienne pleaded, her voice full of urgency this time.

He didn't want to leave Cersei's body there, but Brienne was right by his side, pleading with him. He was putting her in danger. Given the circumstances, he had to choose between life and death. Jaime swallowed hard and opened his eyes again searching for Brienne's gaze. Jaime needed to see the love in her blue shappires, to see the promise of the future she held in every eyelash when she looked at him, to see her for real. Brienne held out her hand for him to take it. And after hugging his sister's body one last time, Jaime lay it carefully on the ground right over Westeros map, the continent his sister had so desperately tried to rule, and grabbed Brienne's fingers to stand up as if life depended on it.

They knew there was no time for hugs, but they needed to feel each other's warmth for a second before keeping going. Jaime hid his face in Brienne's shoulder and she stroked his nape tenderly while she held him close. Then they pulled away and looked at each other with determination, vowing to try and get out alive of the Red Keep to have a chance at future together.

Before leaving his sister behind forever, Jaime looked at her with more sorrow than he could express with words. He took off the glove that covered his golden hand and unbuckled the straps that kept it attached to his stump. Then he bent down to place it between Cersei's intertwined fingers. It felt like it was the right place for it to rest, with the woman that had given it to him. The blood that kept gushing from Cersei's wounds stained the golden hand immediately, and Jaime thought that it was kind of poetic that the Lannister colours watched over Cersei in her long dream.

“We should check on the wildfire. If Cersei ordered Qyburn to burn the city, it could still happen, if Daenerys don't set it aflame first”, Jaime said wiping away the traces of tears on his cheeks with his sleeve.

“He had no time to set anything in motion”, Arya Stark informed. “I killed him way before he could even reach his Little Birds.”

Jaime looked at Arya out of the corner of his eye and just nodded. He was struggling not to jump to the young Stark girl's neck and choke her to death. Brienne took Jaime's flesh hand in hers and pulled softly. He sighed and threw his arm around her waist to keep her steady. Helping each other walk as fast as possible, they let Arya lead the way towards the basement while the whole castle shook around them, threatening to collapse right on their heads at any moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never wanted Jaime or Brienne to kill Cersei. Even if I hate his incestuous relationship with his sister, I know killing her would have devastated Jaime. And deep down, he might have never forgiven Brienne if she had killed Cersei, even if it were to protect themselves or the Realm.
> 
> So I decided that Arya killed her, because Cersei had always been on her list. I didn't want Arya to kill the Night King, though, but I'm not changing what happened before ep. 8x04... That will have to be another fic. :)
> 
> Let me know what you think, please. :)


	10. Once upon a time, on a faraway, mysterious, beautiful island...

… the sun shone bright over the blue sea and the waves kissed the white sand of the beaches softly. The flowers grew strong but sweet, and filled the air of the meadows with their delicious scents.

A man lay down on the ground of one of those meadows, letting the green grass tickle his neck while a blonde little girl of six dreamed big by his side, with her head on his shoulder.

“And what happened then?”, she asked opening her blue eyes wide.

“I'm not sure your mother will appreciate that I tell you this story. You're still too young...”, the man reflected frowning.

“I'm brave, Father”, the little girl stated with such an honest expression that it melted the man's heart.

“Alright. It's History, after all. You'll end up studying it someday...”, he said shaking his head. “Where were we? Oh, yes, Daenerys Targaryen, riding her last dragon, burnt King's Landing to ashes. And, when your uncle Tyrion confronted her about it, she sent him to the dungeons.”

“No! Poor Uncle Tyrion”, the girl exclaimed a bit distressed. The man loved to tell her stories because she always reacted to every single event with awe and passion.

“Don't worry, he's as brave as you”, he reassured her as he ran the fingers of his good hand through her curls.

“Couldn't you help him? You are even braver than we”, she said with admiration.

Jaime smiled and shook his head. “No, sweetheart. I was a bit wounded and Daenerys Targaryen didn't like me either.”

“Oh, alright. Go on, please.”

“And when everything seemed lost, King Jon I Stark appeared out of nowhere and killed Daenerys to save the world.”

The little girl squeezed the man's stump with surprise. It still hurt to tell the story they had all been involved in six years ago. But Jaime knew the wounds were healing when he realised he had started to add some cliffhangers and effective pauses to it for shock value.

“And... what happened with the dragon?”, his daughter asked.

“The dragon melted the old throne, that was evil, ugly and made of iron swords, and flew away to live a beautiful life in Essos.”

“What a clever dragon he was”, the girl nodded with approval. “Do you think he's still out there somewhere?”

“Of course. I'm sure Drogon is now in... Old Valyria, diving into the sea to fight this heath.”

She sighed with content and threw her little arm over her father's midsection.

“I love it when you tell me stories with happy endings, Father.”

“I always tell you stories with happy endings, Jenny”, Jaime laughed and soon the girl joined him. He knew someday he would have to tell his daughter the sad stories too, but it was still too soon for that.

“What's so funny?”, a well-loved voice asked from behind.

Jaime looked up and a smile spread over his features instantly. Towering over them and holding the hand of a blonde toddler, was the woman who had saved Jaime's life so many times and still managed to keep him sane in his worst days after so many years: his favourite stubborn lady knight, Brienne of Tarth.

“Nothing, really. Your daughter just likes stories with happy endings”, Jaime winked at Jenny and she giggled against his side.

“She takes after you”, Brienne smiled and sat down next to Jaime, which left their daughter between them.

Brienne caressed the girl's head tenderly and then sat the toddler on her lap. Jaime moved the arm Jenny was lying on slightly to the side to tickle the little boy's thigh and then took Brienne's hand in his. After a while, the kids got bored and started to play with each other, until a butterfly flew over their heads and they both went to chase it.

“Queen Sansa sent a raven”, Brienne informed Jaime.

“How's the North doing? Is it still cold up there?”, he asked mischievously.

“You know it is”, she sent him an amused look and then she lowered her voice for the children not to hear her. “She wrote to tell us that her brother Bran disappeared in the Wolfswood two moons ago without trace.”

“What do you mean? Isn't that the wood that is next to Winterfell? Wasn't Bran Stark in King's Landing helping Tarly rewrite the History books that got burned when Daenerys destroyed the city?”, Jaime frowned.

“He was, but he went North after a while and stayed in Winterfell with Sansa to help her rule. When he vanished, she wrote to Maester Samwell, just in case he knew anything about the place where her brother could have gone.”

“And?”, Jaime stared at her with interest.

“Samwell said that he might have taken on the task of being the Three-Eyed-Raven at last.”

“So he went north of the Wall”, Jaime figured out.

Brienne nodded slowly. “According to Samwell, there's where the Three-Eyed-Raven has to be, keeping alive the stories that should never be forgotten, but not interfering with the lives of common people or even kings.”

“He holds the past. But the future is ours”, Jaime squeezed Brienne's hand and closed his eyes, letting the air stroke the tanned skin of his cheeks.

“Mother, when will Ser Podrick come?”, Jenny suddenly knelt before Brienne and looked at her with adoration.

“He should be here soon”, she reassured her daughter.

“Where will he take you two this time?”, Jaime frowned. Then his son straddled his stomach and sat down on him as if Jaime were a pony. “You know he's Evenfall's Master-at-Arms, not your nursemaid, don't you?”

“He loves them dearly, Jaime”, Brienne said shrugging. “It was him who asked for our permission to take them to see the newborn lambs.”

“The lambs!”, the little boy shouted with his tiny voice.

“Father, is Uncle Tyrion coming for my nameday?”, Jenny asked him out of the blue.

Jaime looked up at Brienne, smiling. “He's trying hard”, he said and their daughter squealed with delight. “But don't tell him I told you. It was supposed to be a surprise...”

“You know your uncle is a very important person”, Brienne reminded her. “As Hand of the King, he's very busy. Don't be too disappointed if he can't come in the end, alright?”

“Alright, Mother”, Jenny nodded dutifully for her parents to see that she was a big girl.

“And if nothing happens, next time we'll go to King's Landing to visit him”, Jaime told his daugher and his heart soared when her smile grew even bigger.

“Can Ser Podrick come with us to the capital?”, she asked closing her little hands into fists.

“We'll see when the time comes, but you'll have to ask him first”, Brienne said nodding towards the horizon as if she were poiting at someone.

Jenny turned her head and exclaimed, “There he is!”

Podrick's silhouette appeared in the distance. She sat up with excitement and grabbed her mother's tunic. “Can we go, Mother, Father?”

Jaime leaned on his elbow to look at Podrick. The knight raised his hand in the air and waved at them with a smile on his face. He wasn't so young anymore. He had grown a beard and his shoulders were wide and strong now. But whenever he spent time with Brienne and Jaime's children, he became the sweet squire all over again. They waved back and nodded at Jenny, who sprang to her feet and started running towards Podrick with joy.

“Don't you think she's a bit smitten with Pod?”, Jaime asked Brienne frowning.

“Oh, Jaime, she's only six. Jenny! Take your brother with you!”, Brienne called her.

And when the girl turned her head to look back at them, a smile on her lips and her golden curls shinning under the sun, Jaime's heart skipped a beat. He had seen that image before. It had been in Harrenhal's courtyard six years ago, when he tried to reach King's Landing to die with his sister. A girl had appeared out of nowhere and had ran away from Jaime, as if she wanted to play tag with him. He remembered thinking that the little girl reminded him of Cersei, and it was true: Jenny was the spitting image of Jaime's twin sister, beautiful and elegant, except for her blue sapphire eyes. Then Jaime understood that the girl he had seen in Harrenhal was not a younger version of Cersei, but his own future daughter.

His eyes filled with tears at the thought that haunted Harrenhal was trying to send him a message back then. The message that his story actually was going to have a happy ending. It still hurt too much thinking of Cersei, but Jaime was getting used to her absence by now. The distance time provided had helped him see all the harm his sister had inflicted upon him throughout his whole life. Day by day, Jaime got over her influence more and more, and kept only the good memories of their childhood mostly. After all, he had been loving Cersei just as a sister for a long time now, even before she died.

It had been his love for another woman, and that woman's love for him, what had brought him to this happy ending in the end.

As their children ran together hand in hand towards Pod, Brienne looked down at Jaime and noticed the tears in his green eyes.

“Jaime, are you alright?”

She was used to his bad moments by now, but that didn't mean Brienne didn't suffer for him anymore. The last six years hadn't been easy for them, but the unconditional love they had for each other still kept them strong and had helped them get over the horrible things they had went through in their lives. The nightmares, the sulky days, the triggers... were still there, though both Jaime and Brienne kept getting better and better. And they were together to face whatever life decided to send them.

“I am”, Jaime said in a low voice, tugging at Brienne's arm for her to lie down by his side.

She did and snuggled against Jaime hugging his belly, as their daughter had done before.

“Jaime, do you ever regret renouncing to Casterly Rock or your House name?”, she asked all of a sudden, her voice a bit unsure. Brienne always wore her confident mask in front of the world, but she allowed it to slip when she was with him, and Jaime loved to see the real Brienne under it.

“No, never. This is the life I always wanted to live. The Lannister name only brought me pain and sorrow. Tarth is my home now, where you live, where we're raising our children. I couldn't ask for more. I never get bored. I enjoy helping you and your father rule the island, I like sparring with Pod... And of course, I love you and the children more than I can say. It's a kind of magic being able to live in peace”, he assured her, running his fingers down her back. “What about you? Do you ever regret turning down Jon's offer to be the Lady Commander of his Kingsguard?”

“No”, Brienne shook her head. “I always wanted to be a knight and I fulfilled my dream. I can't live without a sword in my hand, you know it. But being loved by you, ruling Tarth and being a mother turned out to be the life I wanted for myself. If there's another war and I have to fight, I will. But for now, peace is my favourite time and Tarth with you my favourite place.”

Jaime turned his head and kissed Brienne's blonde hair tenderly. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the warm air of Tarth.

“So... how does our story end, my lady wife?”

Brienne looked at the sky for inspiration and smiled.

“Our story ends in many years from now with a happy ending, but for now, the tale goes on in a green meadow on Tarth, the sun shinning bright and the blue waters of the ocean protecting us as a shield. It goes on with me in your arms, and you in mine. It goes on with two children running after the lambs... and one more on its way...”, she said shyly, looking up at him and grinning softly.

Jaime opened his eyes with surprise and looked back at Brienne as if he needed to read the truth in her eyes to believe her words. He then smiled with happiness and stroked her belly with his stump reverently. Slowly, Jaime leaned down and kissed Brienne's lips, trying to convey everything he felt for her in one kiss: gratitude, admiration, desire, love. She kissed him back with equal passion, because she loved the story they were being able to tell together.

After all, _there was nothing in the world more powerful than a good story_. And theirs was the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the end... I hope you all figured out what happened after Cersei died. Jon was offered to be King and accepted, and Bran is just the Three-Eyed-Raven. Bran could never be king, since he's not human anymore. A king needs to understand human feelings and desires to be a good king, and Bran can't, so I sent him north of the Wall. The rest is more or less the same. :)
> 
> I decided to call JB's daughter Jenny because I think she would love to ask Pod to sing 'Jenny of Oldstones' to her from time to time. I think she would feel important listening to Podrick sing her song (and Jaime's right: she's a bit infatuated with Pod!).
> 
> We deserved a happy ending for Jaime and Brienne in the show.
> 
> I can't thank you enough for your support, kudos and comments. I hope this fic helped you cope and entertained you at the same time!
> 
> Hugs!


End file.
